Gum on One Shoe

“Senator, I enjoyed your book.” Short of yelling, “FIRE!” there’s nothing you could say that would get a Senator’s attention like those five meaningful words. And it works on Representatives too. Let’s be clear, it works on anyone who ever wrote a book…or a blog.

Now at Gum, we don’t dare suggest that you utter such a thing if you didn’t actually read their book. But for those with more time than money, why wouldn’t you read their books? They are a treasure trove of possible opportunities to connect their lives with yours, and your issue.

And what could you ever do to ingratiate yourself with a member of congress more than investing your time to get to know them better? They can’t help but like you.

But what good is stopping them in their tracks if you don’t have something worth saying? First, it helps to prove you actually read the book and it really helps if you can make a connection. “I especially like the story of your first campaign, I worked on one (or I had one) just like it.”

After their response, pivot. “I also appreciated the point you made in Chapter 4 about the 10th amendment. Doesn’t this apply to federal drug policy? Am I wrong?”…

Or, “Senator, I enjoyed your book. I was especially touched by how you dealt with the death of your father. I went thru the same thing and, like you, I would have done anything to ease his pain and suffering…” Pivot.

Or, “Senator, I enjoyed your book. It’s nice to know I’m not the only Talking Heads fan in the building…” Pivot.

Reading their book is the easy part, liking it might be more difficult. Which brings us to the hard but necessary truth… Be genuine. If you can’t, it’s better to say nothing at all. But if you read with an eye toward the one page, paragraph or point that ties their story to your issue, you will find something to talk about.

For those who prefer the Cliff Notes version, feel free to use what members say during a news interview. “Senator, I like what you said on the news about your support for the Right to Try bill. Does that include cannabis? If not, why not?”

There’s a proverb related to war that states, “Know yourself, know your enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles without loss.” Some would suggest that advocacy is war and that those opposed to your ideas are the enemy. That’s just hyperbole, but knowing your opponent in any legislative battle is a benefit to you, and your cause.

 

There are generally two types of advocates, those with money and those without. Non-profit advocates tend to be the latter. But what they lack in funds, non-profits tend to make up in credibility and volume. Non-profit advocates also have time, and while that credibility, volume and time can’t be easily quantified, they do have value. And with the advent of social media and email, that credibility can be shared at literally no out-of-pocket expense. Advocates who have a proven record of promoting the good work of elected officials get more in return than those who do not. Think carrots and sticks.

Walk into literally any congressional office and you will see shelves and walls full of awards and plaques from advocates for very cause. Members are rightly proud of the recognition this ‘brass’ represents. Share a photo of the presentation in your newsletter to members or website for even more ‘love.’ The value of these awards is magnified as reelection draws near. Never underestimate the importance of saying thank you.

It also helps to appreciate what it takes to run for office. Your relationship with elected officials is enhanced when you have a better understanding of what it takes to run. Empathy is your secret handshake. Short of having run yourself, the best thing you can do is volunteer to work on a campaign. No donation will ever buy the love from a candidate that going door-to-door, walking a parade route or waving a sign on a street corner will. Most state and local candidates rely on their family and close friends to run their campaigns (much to the chagrin of family and friends). More often than not even incumbent legislators have less than a handful of involved volunteers. Be one of the few, and you will have more influence than the big-money ‘suits.’

Go… Get out there and pull the wagon. You and your cause will be glad you did.

At Gum on One Shoe, we subscribe the notion that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. When it comes to changing the law, bring your passion and bring your facts and package them in a statement and a request that lasts no longer than a TV commercial (30 seconds). Elected officials are no different than anyone else. They want to be helpful to people who ask in a nice way, so throw in a smile a firm handshake and a ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ for good measure.

Just because Senator Jeff Flake temporarily rewarded questionable behavior, doesn’t mean you should conduct business on Capitol Hill (or anywhere) in that fashion. In politics, your opponent today can be your ally tomorrow. If you are advocating for a just cause that needs some love and attention from people who literally have 1-25 million other things (people) on their minds it is best not to yell when making your case.

If you came to Capitol Hill to advocate for your cause, the Overflow Room is the last place you want to be. If you want to watch a hearing on tv, you could watch it from home. This is where they send people who can’t get a seat in the intentionally small public galleries in the committee rooms. Depending on the layout of the room, some rooms have as few as a dozen and as many as a hundred seats. During major hearings and voting sessions (called ‘mark-ups’ or ‘business meetings’) these rooms quickly fill up with staff and the usual ‘suits’ some of which have hired line-standers to save their seats. But being in the room is often the second worse place to be for an advocate. Sure, it’s exciting to be in the room, but if you came to Capitol Hill to be effective, you want to get face-time with members. If so, the hallway is where you want to be.

 

If ‘Baby’ was on Capitol Hill advocating for her cause, Baby would want to be in that corner. This is often where the press stake-out members. Pay close attention to where these full-timers ply their trade. These corners are where they can see members walking toward these committee rooms. Senators can be seen from the left, from the right and when they exit the elevator. Be there.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an invitation (written or otherwise) you don’t need tickets or credentials to get inside any of the Congressional buildings. And more often than not, you don’t even need to stand in line. Occasionally you might find a line at the main entrance of one of the six Congressional buildings, but if you walk around the corner, there is likely another door you can walk right in.

There are metal detectors you go thru but the process is much quicker than getting thru a typical airport. Keep your belt, coat and watch on unless instructed otherwise. Place your phone and keys in your bag (so you don’t leave them behind) and place them on the X-ray machine. If you beep, Capitol Police will likely just wand you and you will be on your way.

When attending hearings, you would likely enter the Dirkson Building in the Senate and the Rayburn Building on the House side. The Senate side includes three buildings, Russell, Dirkson and Hart. The Russell is the oldest of the three. The Dirkson is where most of the hearings are held and the Hart is the newest of the three. Each has at least two entrances.

Hearings in the House are generally held in the Rayburn Building. It is the newest of the three House buildings and where the more senior members have their offices. Cannon is the first to be built and is very similar to the Russell building on the Senate side as they were both designed by the same architect. The Longworth is between Cannon and Rayburn and has the closest entrance to the Capitol.

In the Senate, room numbers are preceded by letters indicating the building: SR for Russell, SD for Dirkson and SH for Hart. While that might seem obvious, the House numbers are not so obvious. House numbers that are only three digits are in Cannon, four digit offices beginning with a 1 are in Longworth and four digit numbers beginning with a 2 are in Rayburn. The second of the four digits denotes the floor. There is no building with 24 floors.

Once you’re in you can stay in, and walk between the three House buildings or the three Senate buildings thru underground tunnels. It’s also a good place to meet members. There is a subway between the House and the Capitol and the Senate but you have to go thru additional security and have an appointment on the other side to get a pass. And they make you discard any food or drink you might have in your bag. More on that in another post. Unless the weather is bad, it is often just as quick to walk outside.

Before you go running up The Hill, you need to know what you are aiming for. No trip to Washington should be made without a plan to meet your own members of congress. That would be your one member of the House of Representatives and your two members of the Senate. This is third grade civics but you would be surprised how many people don’t know who their members are. Gum On One Shoe believes if you have to get on a plane to come to DC, the least you should get to do is actually meet with your member of Congress. We believe most members feel that way too and the closer they get to reelection, the more accommodating they are likely to be. But you have to do your part. Here are a few tips for seeing your member on The Hill:

1. Schedule your trip during session, not during recess. Congress is typically out for ‘in-district work days’ any week that has a federal holiday.
2. Call for an appointment as far in advance as possible. Most staffers know their boss would rather meet voters than listen to witnesses or dial for dollars. Make their job easy.
3. Know your member’s committee assignment and check the weekly schedule to see where they are likely to be. These schedule are often not published until just a few days in advance. You can find the House schedule here and the Senate schedule here. Most committee rooms have one door where members go in and out called the ‘Ante Room.” Be there.

Finally, if you want to be an effective advocate for your cause, you should first meet  members in their district offices. To be an effective advocate, you have to know your three members, but to be really influential, they need to know you.

Gum on One Shoe is a group of non-profit public policy reform advocates of every political stripe who work on Capitol Hill. This blog will share our work and experiences with the hope of encouraging you to join us. More often than not, advocates find Capitol Hill and those who dominate it to be too intimidating for beginners. We hope to dispel this notion and give you the tools and confidence you need to come here and share your story with those who can make the change you want to see happen.

At Gum on One Shoe we subscribe to these advocacy truths:

• You must be present to win
• You catch more flies with honey
• 80% of advocacy is just showing up
• No one can tell your story better than you
• Constituents Matter

This is why you need to be here. Let’s go!